Refrigerated display shelf



Oct. 20, 1942- M. RlFKlN REFRIGERATED DISPLAY SHELF Filed April 15, 1942 INVENTOR. M4 ra/v A /0N.

ably the latter.

Patented Oct. 20, 1942 UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATED DISPLAY SHELF Milton Rifkin, Denver, Colo. Application April 13, 1942, Serial No. 438,857

' (c1; era-89.5)

13 Claims.

This invention relates to a display case for frozen foods and has for its principal object the provision of a case in which the packages will be displayed on shelves directly before the customer and from which the customer can conveniently remove any package without the necessity of opening refrigerator doors and the like and yet which will maintain all of the packages in their frozen condition.

Other objects of the invention are to provide automatic sealing means which will seal the case immediately after each package is removed therefrom and to so construct the case that a layer of cold air will be maintained over the exposed packages in the case and a pocket of cold air will be maintained about the packages on each shelf of the case.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and through out the description;

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective View of the improved frozen food display case;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, horizontal section through the shelf portion thereof;

Fig. 3 is a similarly enlarged, fragmentary vertical section through the shelf portion thereof; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating an alternate form of shelf front.

The improved case is designed to conform to a section of wall shelving in order that it may, if desired, be set into the wall shelving of a store without requiring additional floor space.

The entire apparatus is enclosed within an outer housing In either of wood or metal, prefer- The inside of the back and end walls of the housing I is covered with suitable heat insulating material I5 which in turn is covered by an inner wall surface It of metal or other material. The lower portion of the housing l0 contains a storage compartment to which access is had through a suitable hinged door II and a refrigerating machine compartment closed by means of a door l2. Above these two compartments is the display and dispensing portion of the device.

frigerated shelves I 3. These shelves maycomprise flat coils of refrigerating pipes covered by a metal shelf. They preferably consist, however, of a flat metal container through'whichbrine or other refrigerating medium is circulated. The refrigerated shelves I 3 are inclined downwardly to the back of the case on an angle of eight to ten degrees and are supported on suitable supporting brackets l4.

The merchandise, indicated by the packages I1, is supported immediately above the shelves l3 upon a plurality of parallel slide rods l8 which are inclined to correspond to the incline of the shelves, there being two of the rods l8 beneath means of pusher plates 2| actuated from compression springs 22. Each pusher plate is ,provided with notches 23 in its opposite vertical edges which ride on the separating rods l9 to guide the plates and hold them in place. -Each compression spring surrounds a telescoping spring guide post 24 which prevents the springs from looping or kinking. v

A shelf front 25 extends across the case in front of each of the refrigerated shelves l3, in spaced relation thereto. Each of these shelf fronts extends slightly above the slide rods l8 of that shelf and is provided with a rubber-gasket member 26 on its inner upper edge against which the front package of each pile is forced by the action of the springs 22. The lower edge of each below the refrigerated shelves H to allow air circulation space therebetween.

It can be' readily seen that the cold shelves It will chill the air in the interior of the housing The display portion employs a plurality of re- III. This chilled air will descend and be directed "rename by the rearward incline of the shelves.

' Since the air cannot pass between the shelves and the rear wall, a pocket is formed over each shelf in which the air will be trapped and held around the piles of packages on that shelf. The excess cold air will over flowthe forward edges of the shelves I 3 behind'the shelf fronts 25 and from thence will be directed rearwardly by the flanges 21 onto the packages on the shelf below. A portion of the over-flowing air will exit through the perforations 2 9 in the flanges and flow downwardly over. the front faces of the foremost packages large so that after all packages have been removed from any pile this plate will seal itself against the gasket 26 and the rubber curtain 28 to maintain the case sealed.

In alignment with each shelf is a price tag slide 3| into which a suitable price tag 32 may be inserted to indicate to the customer the price of the packages on that she1f.'

The case is preferably provided with a forwardly extending hood 33, which'may contain illumination to illuminate an advertising sign 34, but which contains a refrigerating coil to assist the perforations 29 in maintaining a curtain of cold air over the foremost packages in the case.

The details of the refrigeration plant and the connections between the shelves and the plant are not illustrated as these are theusual plant.

equipment and within the skill of those skilled in the art of refrigeration. I

The cold air from the lowermost shelf compartment may descend into the storage compartment if desired. From the storage compartment an air riser of any suitable design or position may return the warmer air from the storage compartmentto the top of the case for another descent.

In Fig. 4 an alternate form of shelf front in which the top is rolled outwardly to form a cold air receiving hopper 35 to receive the cold air flowing downwardly over the fronts of the packages and to return the latter to the case to conserve its coldness thus assisting in maintaining the cold curtain on the fronts of the foremost packages. The warmer room air cannot, of course, descend into the hopper 35 due to its lesser specific gravity than the colder descending air.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent 1. A refrigerating display case comprising: a vertical series of horizontally extending refrigerating shelves; means for supporting packages on each shelf; sealing means at the front of each shelf in the path of theforemost packages along the shelf; and means for forcing the packages forwardly on the shelf supporting member to the foremost packages against said sealing means.

' 2. A refrigerating display case comprising: a

vertical series of horizontally extending refrigerating shelves; means for supporting packages on each shelf; a shelf front member in front of each shelf and projecting above the shelf to contact the foremost packages along the shelf, said refrigerating shelves being inclined downwardly and rearwardly to the back of said case to form cold air pockets over each shelf; and a circulation passage betweeneach shelf and its shelf front member to allow cold air to overflow and descend from shelf to shelf.

3. A refrigerating display case comprising! a vertical series of horizontally extending refrigerating shelves; means for supporting packages on each shelf; a shelf front member in front of each shelfand projecting above the shelf to contact the foremost packages along the shelf; a curtain depending from each shelf front member into contact with the packages on the next shelf below; and means forcing said packages against the shelf front member and said curtain to seal said case.

4. A shelf case for frozen foods comprising: an insulated outer housing; a closed storage compartment in said housing; a refrigeration machinery compartment in said housing; a shelf and below the shelf, said shelf front members being spaced forwardly of the shelves to allow cold air to descend between the front members and the shelves.

5. A shelf case for frozen foods comprising: an insulated outer housing; a closed storage compartment in said housing; a refrigeration machinery compartment in said housing; a shelf section in said housing open to the front thereof; a plurality of refrigerated shelves in said shelf section; a plurality of slide rods extending forwardly from the back of the case across said shelves for supporting packages thereover; a shelf front member extending across the shelf section in front of each shelf and extending above and below the shelf, said shelf front members being spaced forwardly of the shelves to allow cold air to descend between the front members and the shelves; and means for urging the packages forwardly on the slide rods against the shelf front members.

6. A shelf case for frozen foods comprising: an insulated outer housing; a closed storage compartment in said housing; a refrigeration machinery compartment in said housing; a shelf section in said housing open to the front thereof a plurality of refrigerated shelves in said shelf section; a plurality of slide rods extending forwardly from the back of the case across said shelves for supporting packages thereover; a shelf front member extending across the shelf section in front of each shelf and extending above and below the shelf, said shelf front members being spaced forwardly of the shelves to allow cold air to descend between the front members and the shelves; means for urging the packages forwardly on the slide rods against the shelf front members; and means extending downwardly from each shelf member to contact the foremost packages to seal the front of said shelf section.

'7. A shelf case for frozen foods comprising: an insulated outer housing; a closed storage compartment in said housing; a refrigeration ma- ,5

chinery compartment in said housing; a shelf section in said housing open to the front thereof; a plurality of refrigerated shelves in said shelf section; a plurality of slide rods extending forwardly from the back of the case across said shelves for supporting packages thereover; and a shelf front member extending across the shelf section in front of each shelf and extending above and below the shelf, said shelf front members being spaced forwardly of the shelves to allow cold air to descend between the front members and the shelves, said shelves being inclined downwardly to the back of said housing to form a cold air pocket over each shelf for trapping the coldest air thereover.

8. A shelf case for frozen foods comprising: an insulated outer housing; a closed storage come artment in said housing; a refrigeration machinery compartment in said housing; a shelf section in said housing open to the front thereof; a plurality of refrigerated shelves in said shelf section; a plurality of slide rods extending forwardly from the back of the case across said shelves for supporting packages thereover; -a shelf front member extending across the shelf section in front of each shelf and extending above and below the shelf,. said shelf front members being spaced forwardly of the shelves to allow cold air to descend between the front members and the shelves; means for urging the packages forwardly on the slide rods against the shelf front member; and means extending downwardly from each shelf member to contact the foremost packages to seal the front of said shelf section, said shelves being inclined downwardly to the back of said housing to form a cold air pocket over each shelf for trapping the coldest air thereover.

.9. A refrigerator display case comprising: a vertical series of horizontally extending refrigerating shelves; and a shelf front spaced for-' wardly of each of said shelves, said shelf front extending forwardly of the foremost packages 10. vA refrigerator display case comprising: a vertical series of horizontally extending refrigerating shelves; and a shelf front spaced forwardly of each of said shelves, said shelf front extending forwardly of the foremost packages thence rearwardly into said case below the shelf to direct the cold air rearwardly, there being openings to allow cold air to exit through said shelf member onto the front face of the foremost packages therebelow and there being a passage by the upper edge of each shelf to receive the cold air descending from the front faces of the packages thereabove.

11. In a refrigerating display case, a plurality of superimposed shelves; shelf front members positioned forwardly of said shelves and extending thereabove; a sealing member depending from each shelf over the front member of the shelf below; and means for forcing packages forwardly on said shelves into contact with said front members and said sealing members to seal said case.

12. In a refrigerating display case, a plurality of superimposed shelves; shelf front members positioned forwardly of said shelves and extending thereabove; a sealing member depending from each shelf over the front member of the shelf below; and means for forcing packages forwardly on said shelves into contact with said thence rearwardly into said case below the shelf -to direct the cold air rearwardly, there being openings to allow cold air to exit through said shelf member onto the front face of the foremost packages therebelow.

front members and said sealing members to seal said case, there being cold air pasages between the shelves and their front member to allow cold air to descend from shelf to shelf.

13. In a refrigerating display case, a plurality of superimposed shelves; shelf front members positioned forwardly of said shelves and extending thereabove; a sealing member depending from each shelf over the front member of the shelf below; and means for forcing packages forwardly on said shelves into contact with said front members and said sealing members to seal said case, said shelves being inclined to incline the forward face of the foremost package backwardly, said sealing members being positioned rearwardly of the shelf fronts to con- .form to the rearward incline of the packages,

there being openings between each shelf front and the sealing member therebelow to allow cold air to descend onto the said forward faces of the foremost packages.

MILTON RIFKIN. 

